ANSON COUNTY: COVID-19 is a coronavirus, which is part of the same family of diseases as the common cold and SARS. Though highly infectious, most victims of COVID-19 display mild to moderate symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and trouble breathing. However, the disease could be fatal for individuals with a compromised immune system, such as older citizens.
“In addition to age being a problem, you also have your younger generation, like your infants and newborns, that you have to be concerned about. You also have to be concerned about your individuals with respiratory issues, like asthma, COPD, and emphysema,” said Kristy Davis. The Communicable Disease Nurse at the Anson County Health Department. Immunocompromised persons are also among those with a greater risk, of both infection and death, from COVID-19.
As the Communicable Disease Nurse, Davis works with the state and local health providers with disease surveillance, “I collect information, interview patients, review medical records, and submit this information to the state. I also work with outbreak situations, should those occur.”
“With allergy season approaching, it can be difficult for the average person to differentiate between symptoms of COVID-19 and those of allergies or the common cold,” said Davis, Even if properly diagnosed, testing for the disease can be problematic due to shortages of the kits required to do so across the country.
“Unfortunately, at the Anson County Health Department, we are not able to test for the coronavirus. We are referring people to their local physicians, urgent care clinics, and the ER, if necessary” said Davis.
If at all possible, those displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate themselves to avoid infecting others. It is vital, for public safety, that everyone uses caution when interacting with others.
Some ways to prevent the spread of the virus include, “Frequent hand washing, coughing or sneezing into your shirt sleeve, because, generally, when you cough into your hand you’re touching surfaces and then you’re contaminating those surfaces. explained Davis.
Misinformation concerning COVID-19 has run rampant, especially on social media. One common point of confusion is over what “presumptive positive” means. “It’s important for the public to understand that a presumptive positive means that we have a positive test on our end, but it still needs to be confirmed by the state and Center for Disease Control. It goes through certain steps to make sure things are accurately confirmed,” explained Davis.
In the event someone believes they are infected with the virus, it is imperative they don’t just show up the emergency room or at their healthcare provider. “We encourage people who think they may have the virus to contact their healthcare providers to let them know what’s going on,” said Davis.
“I would like to encourage people to stay calm. If you are sick or symptomatic, just stay home. If possible if you have someone that could run you supplies if needed. I like to call that the Front Porch Service,” said Davis
Center for Disease Control (CDC) has suggested that people do not attend events with over 50 attendants. Given the state of affairs, is it safe for Anson County residents to attend gatherings of any kind? “I feel that’s up to each individual group’s decision-making abilities. Obviously, you’re going to have persons who are going to be symptomatic and they’re not going to stay home. People need to keep that in mind when they’re planning their functions,” remarked Davis
“I feel comfortable in saying Anson County has an excellent response plan to this virus,” said Davis, who added, “With our collaboration, we have been working with not only the school system and the college, but we’ve also been working with, sending out information, and touching base with all the daycares in Anson County, as well as the jail. Every time, a new update comes in from the state, I’m in contact with the providers’ offices and long-term care facilities in our area. We’re doing our part to make sure that we have everybody informed and put the necessary steps in place to keep everyone safe.”
Davis believes now is the time for Anson County to support each other during this time of crisis, “I feel like Anson County is wonderful in the sense that we’re all supportive of each other. This is a great place to call home and grow up. I’ve lived here my entire life. We always watch out for each other when times get hard. I hope that this is one of those times where we can see Anson County come together to take care of each other and prevent the spread of this virus.”